Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2018 37 BY COREY BODDEN Notre Dame's offensive line class was off to a strong start heading into June with commitments from Ri- vals100 prospects Quinn Carroll (No. 38 in the country) of Edina (Minn.) High and tackle John Olmstead (No. 66) of Metuchen (N.J.) St. Joseph, plus 247Sports four-star Andrew Kristofic of Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland. However, the Irish were still battling Ohio State, Stanford and Clemson for one of their top targets: Cincinnati An- derson center Zeke Correll. Adding Correll was the next step for the Irish staff in its quest to land one of the na- tion's top offensive line hauls in 2019. Correll made his way to South Bend for an official visit June 15-17, and by June 18 he was part of Notre Dame's class. "Heading into that visit, Notre Dame was probably on the top of the list, beating the other schools a little bit," Correll said. "After the visit, it was a no-brainer. That visit solidified everything. "The first thing I looked for was the family factor. If it didn't feel like home, then it wasn't the place for me. When I went on the official, it clicked in my head with all the coaches, players and the community. It felt like the home for me." The 6-4, 275-pounder made an un- official visit to Stanford in early June and was scheduled to take an official to Ohio State the weekend af- ter his Irish trip. His announcement nixed that visit. "The Notre Dame s t u d e n t s , f o o t b a l l players and everyone in general are my kind of people," explained Correll. "They are blue-collar people who get after it. "Also, offensive line coach Jeff Quinn — it's going to be his first year, and he'll be a great coach. Coaches can always leave, so I didn't base my deci- sion purely off coaches. "After I went to Notre Dame, I knew that's where I wanted to play football because of the tradition there, the offensive linemen they produce, and partly due to the staff and being around the players and knowing I'm a lot like them." The Irish offered Correll this past October following an unofficial visit for their 35-14 win over North Caro- lina State. At the time, Harry Hies- tand was still the offensive line coach. When Hiestand departed for the Chicago Bears in January, Correll felt some uneasiness about Notre Dame. However, that was squashed quickly once the four-star prospect had a chance to meet Quinn in person. "The first time I went to Notre Dame was an incredible ex- perience, and the of- fer meant so much to me," Correll began. "Coach Hiestand is a great coach, and when he left it was kind of a bummer. "Then I met Coach Quinn, and there were no problems. He's the real deal and legit. I know he'll make me into not only a great football player, but a great man. "Our relationship grew tremen- dously. We have a lot of the morals with family and God. We just clicked right away, and there's no other way to describe it. I could tell I like him." Though he plays guard for Ander- son, Correll will enter Notre Dame competing at the center spot to re- place starter Sam Mustipher, who de- parts following the 2018 campaign. Correll will be an early enrollee. 247Sports ranks Correll as the No. 133 player in the nation and the No. 6 guard. ESPN ranks him as the No. 177 player in the land. He also held offers from Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, Wisconsin and Iowa. ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Zeke Correll projects as an interior lineman (center or guard) in the Notre Dame offense … Athletic player with nimble feet and the ability to bend at the knees … His quickness makes him an effective puller and trapper, and also allows him to quickly pick up blitzes and stunts … Explodes off the ball and drives his feet through contact, which helps him get a strong push at the snap in the run game … Works well to the second level and is a dangerous blocker in space … Mirrors defenders well in the pass game. Areas For Improvement Lacks ideal size and length, but has the frame to add good weight and possesses traits to overcome that deficiency … Will have to continue improving his lower body strength and get his weight closer to 300 pounds … Must work on playing with more consistent pad level. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE ZEKE CORRELL Notre Dame Was a 'No-Brainer' For 2019 Ohio Offensive Lineman Correll, a four-star recruit ranked as the nation's No. 14 guard per Rivals, committed to Notre Dame over Ohio State, Stanford and Clemson. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN "The Notre Dame students, football players and everyone in general are my kind of people. They are blue-collar people who get after it." CORRELL